Jon Spencer Blues Explosion has been an oddity on my playlist for over 15 years, so teenage me was pretty pumped up for this show. What I mean is that JSBX are a unique band that take multiple genres to new places, which seems to be a theme this week. Their history is put best on their website, “For nearly a quarter of a century the Blues Explosion have been sweating, eating, drinking, fucking, fighting, winning and losing…” The inventor of his own form of Garage Blues Noise Rock, Jon Spencer is a living legend. He oozes Rock and Roll on stage. I know I said I would stop using that term generally, but I may have to print a retraction thanks to this man. He is constantly jumping into the power stance and screaming while lipping the mic in his signature way, all while pumping out his own genre of crunchy distorted blues-rock. JSBX takes influences from Hip-Hop to Rockabilly to Punk Rock.

Lee’s Palace was sold out on a Wednesday and the air was full of anticipation. The crowd was a little standoffish at first, but soon pockets of crazy people began to emerge and infect the rest of the crowd, in a good way. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion were drenched in sweat from their second song in and although they are only a trio, they have an enormous and oceanic sound, especially live. Judah Bauer plays a crazy rhythm guitar, also playing the occasional high-powered blistering blues solo. Bauer also busted out a harmonica solo for one or two songs. Spencer also always has his Theremin on stage, just for kicks and a touch of dramatic flair. When least expected, he would jump to the back of the stage and gesticulate out these wild twisting high-pitched noises at random. It is a world-class spectacle that may be worthy of study. Russell Simins is a classic stadium Rock drummer. He is tight and funky yet heavy as metal, using just enough cowbell. Spencer himself is the master and inventor of dissonant blues riff with punk punk tones. These guys do not play like a band that was formed in 1991, that is, they play with the fire and passion of a band 20 years their junior;their energy is just endless and their love for the crowd was palpable.

Always the sign of a caring band, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion also had an amazing opener touring with them called We Are Hex; heavy, bluesy, twisted, dark and sexy, they were a perfect fit to warm up the crowd. Undoubtedly a huge influence on bands from The White Stripes to The Strokes, JSBX is also an inspiration to the music community in general. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion have a very small audience if you compare it to the scope of their talent or their range as a touring band.They’re big enough to destroy a packed Lee’s Palace on a Wednesday. These guys have simply never stopped blowing people’s minds and have never changed their line up. I cannot recommend this band highly enough, check them out right here:http://www.thejonspencerbluesexplosion.com/ Review and Pictures by: Gideon Greenbaum-Shinder Edited by: Jesse Kline

So last night one of my best friends called me and said, “Want to go see the Pixies?” I replied, “That show was cancelled, Plant got sick.”, “No. Pixies are playing The Shoe.” This was followed by thirty seconds of paralytic silence, during which my friend queried multiple times as to whether I was alright. Needless to say, Pixies mean a lot to me. They pretty much reinvented and then fused Punk, Surf and Psychedelic Rock in the late 80s, and are directly responsible for influencing bands from Nirvana to Radiohead, and in one way or another, they have left their mark on everything that’s come along since.In contemporary music, Pixies give context tothe words Indie and Alternative.

There are simply no words to describe the experience I had at The Horseshoe Tavern, but I am going to try anyways. For those who do not know the story, Pixies were supposed to play at The Molson Amphitheatre with Robert Plant. Rob got sick and Pixies said ‘Hey, we should play a show anyways with 24 hours notice.’ I can say without any exaggeration that this was one of the most special nights of my life.

These guys are not road-weary at all. In fact, they are sharpened to a razor’s edge. I have never felt so many bodies pressed together at the Horseshoeto soak up such a once in a lifetime intimate experience. Black Francis was a raw and passionate vocalist on stage while playing the rhythm parts flawlessly. David Love had a joyous look to him and was simply metronomic on the drums. Guitarist Joey Santiago was humble but garnered huge crowd responses just by destroyed his solos throughout the set. Paz Lenchantin is a gorgeous enchantress and nailed those unforgettable Pixies bass lines and vocal harmonies, while screaming and beaming her way through the whole set.

Pixies are a rare treat and even more so in such an intimate setting. Throughout the performance everyone I made eye contact with gave me a look with the same subtext, “I cannot believe this is happening!” The crowd moshed and screamed along with hits like, “Wave of Mutilation”, “Monkey Gone To Heaven”, and “Where is My Mind?” I was soaked to the bone with sweat and holding onto my camera for dear life, but every time I got a little closer to the stage a wave of surrealism came over me and I was simply thankful that things like this happen, and that I could be a part of it. It’s not every night that The Horseshoe reaches the legendary status of its moniker, but some nights they really do make history.www.pixiesmusic.com Review and Pictures by: Gideon Greenbaum-Shinder Edited by: Jesse Kline